Casemiro the latest Brazil star to endorse Ancelotti for Selecao job

Casemiro is the latest Brazilian player to join his former Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti for the vacant position of Selecao head coach.

Brazil are yet to name a successor to Tite, whose six-year tenure came to an end after the five-time world champions were eliminated by Croatia in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.

Ramon Menezes, who guided Brazil’s U-20 national team to the South American U-20 championship in February, took over on an interim basis for Saturday’s game against Morocco.

However, the coach most associated with the full-time role is Ancelotti.

Several Brazilian players have openly backed his potential candidacy and Casemiro joined the chorus, despite the ex-Madrid player reminding his teammates that Ancelotti’s employers must be respected.

“Firstly, we players want to have a capable manager with great players,” Casemiro told reporters on Friday.

“We have 30, 40, 50 players of exceptional level. You could form three, four teams that could compete with any other team in the world.

“As for Ancelotti, he’s a coach that I already know, that I know very well. He’s a friend of mine, he’s someone I admired in football and it was a pleasure to work with him. “

“But there is another side: Ancelotti has a club, Real Madrid. We have to respect the club and Ancelotti.”

He added: “Ancelotti has won everything in his career. He is a coach with a lot of experience and Ancelotti is without a doubt a great coach.”

Casemiro was also careful not to shut Ramon out of the race entirely.

A former Brazil international who has enjoyed a 26-year professional career and has spent much of the past decade in various coaching roles, Ramon is not considered one of the frontrunners for the full-time job.

But Casemiro pointed out the 50-year-old now has a chance to make his claim and insisted the players are treating him as if he were there long-term.

“We also have a coach here, namely Ramon,” Casemiro continued. “He’s not the perennial favorite but he’s here to play this game and we know there are opportunities in life.

“Today he’s not permanent, but if he does a great job, [and] if the names that the president [of the Brazilian Football Confederation] do not want to accept, Ramon is there.

“From the moment I came here I respect that and treat him like he’s the coach of a World Cup. Not just me but all the players respect him because he’s the coach now and you have to have respect.” for the coach.”